5 Most Suitable Trade Destination For DeAndre Jordan  

#3 Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland Cavaliers Media Day

The Clippers receive: Tristan Thompson, Iman Shumpert/Channing Frye and the Cavs' 2018 first-round draft pick

The Cleveland Cavaliers receive: DeAndre Jordan

Why the Cavaliers agree to the deal:

Despite being one of the Eastern Conference's top teams in the regular season over the last 3 seasons, the Cleveland Cavaliers have consistently struggled to be a consistent team on the defensive end. Last season they finished in the bottom half of teams ranked in defensive efficiency per 100 possessions, and they don't look much better this season on that end of the floor.

Adding Jordan could change that status quo in the blink of an eye. A perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate, Jordan has a rim-protecting presence that the Cavaliers simply lack when fielding Kevin Love at center. He is also one of the best rebounders around, as well as deadly on pick-and-roll sets in the offense. Losing a draft pick may affect their long-term upside, but the Cavaliers have to place winning in the short term at highest priority with LeBron James set for free agency next summer.

Why the Clippers agree to the deal:

Expecting to receive equal value on a midseason trade could be a bane for the Clippers while trying to ship Jordan, but they could do worse than the pair of Iman Shumpert and Tristan Thompson, who are a pair of defensive aces.

Though both players need to make significant strides on the offensive end, they are capable of being contributors on fringe playoff contenders/lottery teams, as both have shown earlier in their careers. Thompson's energetic play would doubtless earn him an instant following from Los Angeles basketball fans, while Shumpert's transition offense and defense could serve to allow him into similar stardom.

The biggest draw of this deal could, however, be the draft pick, depending on how loaded the NBA draft class of 2018 turns out to be.